1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a battery assembly (i.e., a battery module), in which a plurality of electric cells are electrically connected in the form of a module, and an electric cell.
2. Description of the Related Art
An external terminal of one of electric cells constituting a battery assembly is electrically connected to an external terminal of another electric cell disposed adjacently via a conductive member such as a bus bar. Some of combined batteries include a member (i.e., a cover or a case) covering the external terminal of the electric cell (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 2003-86219 and 2009-266614).
When the arrangement of the plurality of electric cells constituting the battery assembly is changed, it may be possibly necessary to change the orientation of the conductive member connected to the external terminal. However, the conventional member (i.e., the cover or the case) covering the external terminal takes no special consideration of the change of the orientation of the conductive member, and therefore, it may be necessary to redesign the cover or the case accordingly when the orientation of the conductive member is changed. In this regard, the arrangement of the electric cells is limited in the conventional battery assembly provided with the member (i.e., the cover or the case) covering the external terminal of the electric cell.